Freelancing takes off as more opt to be own boss

An
increasing number of people are opting out of full-time employment in favour of
a freelance career, according to joint research by Leeds Business School and
matchmaking service Xchangeteam.

Of
the 191 people surveyed, 45 per cent have left full-time employment since 1998,
and of these 55 per cent plan to continue freelancing or set up their own
business.

Greater
personal freedom, heightened work satisfaction and a reduction in stress levels
are the most common reasons given for making the change.

Earnings
are also a factor, with 36 per cent of respondents claiming to have seen their
incomes rise since going freelance.

Nearly
two-thirds of the freelancers interviewed earned an income of between £25,000
and £50,000 per annum, working an average of 36.8 hours a week.

Report
author Professor Ralph Trench said, "The survey clearly shows that
freelancers are now a growing force in the workplace of the 21st century.

"They
are now regarded as an important group of people by businesses, who are using
their skills to complement that of their own full-time staff. Indeed,
freelancing is no longer seen as a Cinderella profession but as a career in its
own right."